The analysis of pausal processes of Qura’n in optimality phonology

In this paper phonological processes in pausal position of Qura’n are investigated in parallel optimality theory. Short vowels are deleted, disregarding their morphological and syntactical roles, such as indefinite morpheme /n/, nominal /u/ and genitive /i/ cases. The low vowel /a/ representing accusative case resists to deletion due to high sonority and is lengthened and extended to the emptied adjacent mora. However, accusative case vowel is deleted in feminine nominatives, which is justified by the constraint that bans every type of suffixes after feminine one and is high ranked. In addition to deletion of indefinite and case morphemes, feminine suffix /t/ is debucalized and altered to [h] in female nominatives. According to this research, ranking of constraints prevents the appearance of light syllables in pausal position and deletion and lengthening processes happen to substitute heavy or superheavy syllables for light ones. ranking of constraints prevents the appearance of light syllables in pausal position and deletion and lengthening processes happen to substitute heavy or superheavy syllables for light ones.